British Raj
The British Raj, officially the British Indian Empire, is a British Colony located in South Asia. Currently headed by Freeman Freeman-Thomas, Governor-General of the British Raj. The British Raj is bordered to the north by the Xinjiang Clique, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan; to the west by Afghanistan, Iran, and the Arabian Sea; to the south by the Indian Ocean; and to the east by British Burma and the Bay of Bengal. The British Raj makes up the entirety of the Indian subcontinent and forms a very large part of the British Empire both in terms of land and in terms of economic value. Being the most populous region within the Empire, it is a key part in British hegemony particularly over East Asia. History The British Raj is term often used to refer to British rule in India, established in 1858 following the dissolution of the East India Company and the Sepoy Rebellion. The Raj rules in two ways, direct rule in which the Raj Administration administers the lands directly (e.g. in Delhi, Calcutta etc.) or through native rulers, who rule what are known as Princely States ''(e.g. Hyderabad.) The Great War During the Great War, the Raj assisted the Entente in fighting against the Central Powers. Raj troops saw action chiefly in the Mesopotamia Campaign against the Ottoman Empire, and proved very successful throughout the campaign. Some troops also saw action along the Western Front and in the Palestine Front. Post-war Era Following the victory of the Entente in the Great War, and the substantial losses of Indian men, many within the nation began demanding greater autonomy for their sacrifices. This was not unique to just the Raj, with similar sentiment spreading among other British dominions. However, the 1919 Government of India Act proved that autonomy for the Indians was not to be as the powers of the Viceroy were expanded and all political opposition was still banned and heavily repressed. This, coupled with the exclusion of the Raj from the proposed Statute of Westminster, was a stab in the back of the Indian people who had sacrificed many lives in supporting the Entente in a war that never threatened them. Political opposition formed nonetheless with the largest opposition coming from the '''Indian National Congress' now led by prominent activist Mahatma Gandhi. Realising that Gandhi and his policies of 'peaceful non-cooperation' would become a problem for the Raj, particularly after he began promoting the boycott of British goods and institutions, action was taken to silence Gandhi. This lead to his arrest in 1921 for treason and political agitation with his punishment being execution by hanging. He would be hanged 3 years later in 1924, causing widespread rioting and unrest throughout India. This rioting would be quelled by military forces, and thanks in part to the ongoing economic boom throughout the Empire meaning the prosperity of India and investments into the nation had risen rapidly. Additionally, the Princes of the Raj as well as prominent leaders of the Indian Independence movement asked the rioters to hold back, stating that the 'time is not right for Indian Independence.' The death of Gandhi and the refusal of the INC to push for independence following his death caused the Indian people to become divided and disillusioned with the INC and it's aims for a peaceful revolution, leading to the rise of men like Subhas Chandra Bose who promoted a violent overthrow of British rule. The British Raj in 1936 Following the end of the economic boom throughout the British Empire, the complacency of many within the Raj ended and soon tensions were high once more. As it became obvious that the British would never voluntarily leave India any time soon, in 1935, the now united and angry Indian people took up arms and overran the garrison in Delhi seizing key locations within the city. From their, uprisings an Indian Revolt sprung up across northern India and before long the Rebels had captured an enormous swathe of land and now threaten to once and for all force the British out of India. Category:Countries Category:Asian countries Category:Imperial Protection Alliance